Chapter 75: Rice Wine and Pine Needle Crab

[Congratulations, you have lit up the 13th entry in your collection.]

[The culinary entry you lit up is: Windbreak Pine Needle Crab]

[Dish Rating: 92 (Excellent)]

[As the dish rating is Excellent, rewards are quadrupled (x4).]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a reward: Sake-Steamed Pine Needle Crab Recipe]

[Congratulations, you have received a reward: One Set of Meteoric Iron Cookware]

...

Li Xiao paid no attention to the set of meteoric iron cookware or the 1.6 million—a sum many people might not earn in a lifetime—that the system had just awarded him. He was completely captivated by the delicious crab meat in his mouth.

He carefully picked up a piece of the Windbreak Pine Needle Crab.

His chopsticks made a crisp, crackling sound—the sound of the golden-fried garlic and breadcrumbs.

A look of anticipation and excitement filled his eyes, as if he were about to experience a unique culinary feast.

He slowly brought it to his mouth. Instantly, the intense flavors of the windbreak-style seasoning washed over his palate.

The first thing to hit was the powerful, rich aroma of wine and garlic, followed by the subtle spiciness of red chili peppers and the saltiness of the pepper-salt blend.

Close behind came the sweet flavor of the Pine Needle Crab meat. The crab had been marinated beforehand, with sugar fully drawing out its unique, fresh sweetness.

The savory, spicy, and faintly sweet notes intertwined, creating an intoxicatingly delicious flavor.

The crispy golden garlic and breadcrumbs perfectly complemented the tender, delicate crab meat.

Li Xiao closed his eyes, savoring every bite as if he were immersed in an ocean of flavor.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a satisfied smile.

Before he could even comment, the four people beside him burst out in exclamations.

Huang Zhiyuan exclaimed dramatically while swallowing a mouthful of food:

"Whoa, this flavor is explosive!"

"This is the best fried garlic I’ve ever had! It’s so fragrant!"

"There’s not even a hint of bitterness. How did you control the heat so perfectly?"

Zhang Jiawen, sitting next to him, chimed in excitedly:

"I’ve never tasted crab meat with so much flavor."

"I swear I saw you deep-fry the crab for a long time, so how is the leg meat still so juicy?"

As he spoke, he quickly wiped the corner of his mouth. He had been so focused on talking that he hadn’t noticed some of the juice from the crab meat dribbling down.

Zhou Yu swallowed the crab in his mouth, but his chopsticks didn’t pause for a moment as he picked up a second piece.

"I’ve had windbreak-style crab at a food stall before, but I feel like the one that chef made was nowhere near as delicious as what Brother Li just made!"

Zhao Shanshan was a little shy at first, but seeing her own boyfriend speak up, she nodded repeatedly.

"Brother Li’s cooking really is delicious."

Livestream Chat:

"Is it really that good?"

"I don’t know how it tastes, but just its appearance crushes what you’d get at most food stalls!"

"It’s making my mouth water just looking at it!"

"I just found this windbreak-style crab on Meituan, but the price is too high. 188 for one serving, I can’t bring myself to spend that much."

"To the person above, definitely don’t order windbreak-style crab for delivery. It’s all about the heat control. By the time it gets to your house, it won’t be good anymore."

"Yeah, you can really only eat this stuff at a food stall!"

"I’ve decided! When my Pine Needle Crab arrives, I’m making Windbreak Pine Needle Crab!"

...

The platter had been made with a full three pounds of Pine Needle Crab, yet in just a few moments, the five of them had devoured every last bit.

Licking his lips, Zhou Yu suggested wistfully:

"Brother Li, this Windbreak Pine Needle Crab is just too good. Why don’t we make another batch? We still have so many ingredients, after all."

Li Xiao glanced at the remaining ingredients, then shook his head.

"There are still four more dishes to make. If we eat all the ingredients now, where am I supposed to find more Pine Needle Crab?"

Hearing that Li Xiao still had four dishes planned, Zhou Yu’s attention was immediately diverted.

His eyes widened, and he held up four fingers in disbelief.

"Four more dishes? Brother Li, do you mean four more different ways to cook it?"

Li Xiao nodded.

"Of course."

"Don’t worry, they’ll be ready soon."

Putting down his chopsticks, Li Xiao returned to the stove.

He was now going to prepare a uniquely delicious dish: Sake-Steamed Pine Needle Crab.

Recalling the recipe he had just received from the system, a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

’Seriously, it’s like the system knows exactly what I need.’

’If the Windbreak Pine Needle Crab recipe was a coincidence, then this Sake-Steamed Pine Needle Crab recipe definitely can’t be.’

He wasn’t too worried about it, though.

’So far, I haven’t sensed any ill will from the system.’

Shaking off his thoughts, he selected five crab legs. Using a pair of sharp kitchen shears, he easily cut them in half at the joints.

He arranged the cut leg sections one by one in a square ceramic dish.

Then, he opened a cabinet and took out an earthenware jar that was about as tall as his calf.

The surface of the jar was sealed with a layer of clay.

He gently tapped the clay seal with the back of his knife, breaking it away to reveal a somewhat faded red cloth underneath.

After brushing off the clay dust, Li Xiao gently lifted the red cloth.

The moment the cloth was lifted, a very faint, tart, and sweetly clean aroma of rice wine filled the kitchen.

He took a deep, satisfied sniff and nodded.

’Yep, that’s the smell.’

Seeing Li Xiao take out the strange earthenware jar, many people in the livestream chat grew curious.

"What’s the streamer holding?"

"That jar looks exactly like the one my family uses to pickle vegetables, but it’s a little too small."

"A red cloth with an earthenware jar... must be some kind of liquor inside, right?"

"I’m so curious what dish the streamer is making next."

"It’s not some kind of paste, is it? The jar we use for bean paste at home looks a lot like that."

...

Li Xiao used a ladle to scoop out a large bowlful of rice wine, pouring it into a glass bowl he had prepared earlier.

He picked up the glass bowl and showed the liquid inside to everyone.

"That’s right, someone in the audience already guessed it. This earthenware jar is filled with wine."

"It’s a very low-proof rice wine, probably only six or seven percent alcohol, maybe even lower than some fruit wines."

"This kind of low-proof rice wine is suitable for most people. Of course, if you enjoy drinking or prefer a stronger wine flavor, you can use a higher-proof rice wine."

"This next dish is also very simple. It’s called Sake-Steamed Pine Needle Crab."

"The method is also very simple. Just place the cleaned Pine Needle Crab neatly in a shallow container."

"Then, pour the rice wine into the container, cover it, and place it in a steamer for eight minutes. That’s it."

As he spoke, Li Xiao slowly poured the rice wine from the glass bowl into the square ceramic dish.

The rice wine just covered the crab legs. Then, he sprinkled a little salt powder into the ceramic dish.

Because the Pine Needle Crab itself is already a bit salty, he didn’t add too much.

He stirred gently, ensuring the rice wine and salt powder evenly coated the crab, letting every piece bathe in the rice wine.

Li Xiao set the rice wine-soaked Pine Needle Crab aside to marinate, allowing the aroma of the wine to meld with the crab meat.

This process required patience, but he knew that it was precisely this kind of care and passion that created an unforgettable delicacy.